1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of devices usable for storage of equipment on emergency vehicles. More particularly the present invention is designed to provide a means for storing articles upon a fire truck or the like within very limited space. Often such fire trucks have a shelf area thereon which is no more than ten to fourteen inches wide.
The present invention satisfies a means for storage of portable water tanks often used in rural areas. These portable water tanks are rapidly deployed at the site of a fire by fire truck personnel and are immediately filled extremely quickly by duct valves which pour a great volume of water during a very short amount of time into these tanks to provide a reservoir for firefighters while fighting the rural fire. After the portable water tank is deployed the fire truck will leave the scene to go to a location for re-loading with water.
The present invention provides a means for providing immediate access to such portable water storage tanks located by a fire truck while at the same time providing a means for storage thereof in a remote location thereon in an inverted fashion to facilitate drainage after use.
There are many devices which have been designed for use with fire trucks for efficiently storing fire equipment within limited areas. Fire trucks are called upon to carry an excessive amount of equipment and it is necessary that this equipment be stored within very narrowly confined areas thereon. The present invention provides a means for storing of a collapsible and portable water storage tank within a very narrow area by utilizing an apparatus for moving of the stored water tank from the lowered and available position to the upwardly and stored position in an inverted orientation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Other prior art devices have been patented for fire equipment storage or for storage of equipment with respect to vehicles or for water tank usage such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,695,929 patented Dec. 18, 1928 to D. W. Perin and assigned to Perin-Walsh Company on a "Removable Container For Vehicles; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,788,987 patented Jan. 13, 1931 to C. Cunningham on a "Carrier For Transporting And Dispensing Liquids"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,005,990 patented Jun. 25, 1935 to W. S. Darley on a "Fire Truck"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,325,355 patented Jul. 27, 1943 to C. F. Yost on "Fire Extinguishing Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,906,557 patented Sep. 29, 1959 to J. Garabedian et al on a "Vehicle Mounted Tank"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,206 patented Jun. 25, 1963 to G. Fresia et al and assigned to Pirelli, S.p.A. of Milan, Italy on a "Flexible Tank Transport Vehicle"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,262 patented Aug. 9, 1966 to A. V. Motsinger on a "Plastic Bag For Carrying Water On Motor Vehicles"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,555 patented Oct. 12, 1971 to C. Baker on a "Transportable Tank Trailer; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,622 patented Mar. 1, 1977 to M. Hinderks on a "Collapsible Member"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,281 patented Nov. 22, 1977 to D. Evans and assigned to Towmotor Corporation on a "Mounting Assembly For A Controllably Movable Fluid Tank"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,834 patented Apr. 21, 1981 to W. Nutt and assigned to Teledyne Canada, Limited on a "Ladder Rack"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,221 patented Feb. 24, 1987 to F. Benning and assigned to Deere & Company on an "Arrangement Of A Container On A Vehicle"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,421 patented May 16, 1989 to W. Haweika et al and assigned to Konrad Rosenbauer KG on "Service Vehicles"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,330 patented Mar. 27, 1990 to J. Vlaanderen et al and assigned to Iowa Mold Tooling Company, Inc. on a "Service Vehicle With Dispensing System".